Bets
by Gin no raita wa bara
Summary: When Deidara and Hidan make a little bet, the Akatsuki want in. What happens when you happen to fall in love with a certain Kazekage? This is for Chii Saino Kuratsu, who requested it *RE-EDITED*
1. Placing the Bet

_**Hey guys! This is for Chii Saino Kuratsu who requested it. This story is like Little Helpers and Playing with Fire, where it's a love story between YOU and the characters. This one has Gaara. If you haven't read those yet, please do. R&R? Hope you enjoy! **_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or anything Naruto related. They belong to Kishi *sad sigh***_

**Bets: Gaara Story**

Chapter 1: Placing the Bet

"Fucking baka, no way will you fucking win this bet," Hidan challenged, throwing the prediction towards his partner Kakuzu.

"Hidan, just shut up," the brunette replied, rolling his eyes at his partner's competitive attitude. The Jashinist just growled and cursed, stomping away towards the Game Room.

"What was that all about?" I asked. The only remaining man looked over at me and smirked.

"C'mon, Hidan'll explain. We've actually been thinking of adding you in," he responded, walking out the white, faded door of the Akatsuki Kitchen. We entered the game within a few minutes, finding the rest of Akatsuki, save Leader-sama and Konan-sama, just hanging about.

"Oi! Fucker; why are you here?" the albino of the group snapped at me, raising his eyebrows.

"I wanna know about this bet you guys seem to be so interested in."

All the members looked at me. Some chuckled and nodded, others just went on with their previous activities, completely indifferent. I walked slowly over to the couch that sat in front of the rather large TV and plopped myself down in between Deidara and Zetsu. The blonde just grinned and ruffled my hair, receiving a half-hearted glare from me. He and I had been friends ever since he and Sasori were assigned to recruit me into the Akatsuki a few years back.

Zetsu was sitting to my right, having a silent conversation with himself. He and I had gotten along, though we were just comrades or acquaintances, not friends. He looked up at me, mumbled a faint 'hello' before returning to his bickering. The other members were either playing random games like Billiards, making bets to see who would win, whilst others just talked amongst each other….or themselves.

We aren't the most stable organization out there.

Especially mentally.

Yeah.

"So, fucker, ya wanna know about the bet, huh?" Hidan asked, leaning against the Billiard's table as he was about to make a shot. I got up and made my way over to him, grabbing Deidara's wrist in the process and dragging him along with me towards the table.

"Yeah, I do. So spill it," I ordered sternly, causing most of the members to smirk. Hidan shrugged and made the shot, watching as the cue ball bounced off the sides of the green table, hitting a purple ball, knocking it in the hole. He laughed as Kisame cursed loudly. The shark man held out what looked to be a twenty, which the Jashinist happily accepted.

"We can only fucking tell you, if you agree to be a part of it," he responded, looking at me and smirking in a rather evil and maniacal fashion.

I rolled my eyes and scoffed. I've been with these boys for far too long to be scared by any of their childish games.

"Fine, I'm in, now tell me about this damned bet."

All the boys in the room grinned at me like they were insane (which doesn't sound too far off the mark, in all honesty), making me sigh and cross my arms. Patience was never a virtue I seemed to possess, and these boys seemed to be testing my limits. They all knew I was all for a decent bet, and could gamble pretty damn well, if I do say so myself. What could be so damn secretive about this bet, which made it so interesting?

"Well," the silver haired male grinned. "Since you're officially part of it, there's no fucking backing out."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," I sighed, something which I had started doing a lot ever since I joined Akatsuki, and glared.

"I just hope you realize you've agreed to having to seduce and fuck a random guy," he smirked.

I shot a menacing glare towards the foul-mouthed priest.

The ass. He planned this.

He will die.

Slowly and painful, with many things being stuck into him.

Where there shouldn't _be_ things.

Until them, I'll settle for fucking with the arse's mind.

"Well, what qualifies as 'random'?" I asked, much to their surprise (which only increased my amusement).

Serves them right.

The assholes.

These boys knew that I was a conservative type of person. I never mentioned my sex life, never made sex jokes, or talked about my previous boyfriends. But they also knew I was one competitive bitch. I could gamble with the best of them, just as long as it meant winning. I couldn't accept defeat easily, which is a key factor as to why they recruited me in the first place, save my powers and ninja abilities.

The other reason was because I could easily kick their asses into oblivion.

Which is what I would be doing to Hidan in a minute.

This caught Hidan off guard, but he merely grinned and responded. "Some dude off a fucking street, maybe a friend of a friend's you've never fucking met," he shrugged. "Just as long as you don't know shit about them but their name."

"_, are you seriously willing to go through with this, un? I mean, I know you, and you're not a very sexually oriented type of person. Are you actually considering this, yeah?" the only blonde bombshell of the group asked me, worry clearly imprinted upon his naturally pale features. I pursed my lips as if in thought, then nodded.

"Hey, I agreed that if I know about it, I'd do it. I intend to keep that promise. You should know I'm a loyal person," I replied, poking his arm lightly.

God damn you to the deepest pits of Hell, Hidan.

"Loyal and competitive," Kakuzu mumbled under his breath. I shot a glare at the stitched up man before rolling my eyes.

"Oh shut up you greedy money whore," I sighed, flicking his mask as he walked by me, smirking.

Kakuzu and I had a strange relationship, similar to the one of Sasori and Deidara's. We were friends in a way. Though we often bickered and called each other names which can't be repeated in any public place (we learned that the hard way), we knew we'd always have each other's back, just like Sasori and Deidara. Deidara outwardly expressed his respect for Sasori, calling him 'Danna' and all that, whilst still making a joke and mocking the red head, like the way I referred to Kakuzu as 'Kakuzu-sama' and occasionally 'Senpai' or 'Sensei', since he likes to teach me how to pick-pocket men and how to manipulate them to get their money. In return, Sasori refers to Deidara as 'brat' and often is short and snappy with him, but still manages to comfort the blonde if he isn't feeling well, or defends him when he gets injured in battle. The same goes for Kakuzu and me. He often makes jibes at me (always plural), intending to humiliate or anger me, but yet he always stiches me up when I get hurt, talks to me and comforts me when I'm not in a very cheerful mood, and treats my injuries to the best of his capabilities. It's a love-hate relationship, which we found as a comical relief when the days got gloomy in the Akatsuki hideout.

The man chuckled and sauntered over to Hidan, snatching the money from his hands and quickly shoving it into the pockets of his cloak.

"Dude what the fuck?" the other yelled, staring at his now empty hands.

"Hidan, you should know better by now than to keep your money out in the open," I grin.

"Shut up, bitch!" he snapped.

I rolled my eyes and lazily gave him the finger, walking over to take the empty seat next to Sasori, who was diligently working on a little puppet, tweaking it here and there to improve its abilities.

He looked up at me, offered a slight nod as a hello, and then began to work once more.

Maybe I should explain my relationships with each member, save Kakuzu who already has been explained. To me, each member is different, so you must approach them differently in order to gain their attention or trust.

Let's begin with Hidan.

Hidan is a loud-mouthed, arrogant man who believes that he is better than us all. He curses in every sentence and has very low tolerance with anyone or anything that went against what he had to say. Yet, he was an immortal, so that gives him the upper hand when in an argument; therefore he cannot die (though that doesn't stop us from trying). So he always wins. If you approach him with an attitude and very high confidence, you're seen as a friend whom he enjoys a good laugh with. The relationship he and I share isn't the best, but I like it. It's similar to the way of Deidara and Tobi's relationship. Hidan and I have a certain level of respect for one another (though it's very low, miniscule almost), and we show it often by doing small favors for each other or just sitting and sharing a laugh, no insults or jibes flying everywhere. Yet, we also have a low tolerance for each other. We easily get into arguments, and it takes a few hours, if not days, in order to settle it down once again. But all in all, I liked it. He was stress reliever when needed.

Deidara on the other hand is completely different. He is also arrogant, but knows when to keep quiet. He believes his art is the best out of everyone here, especially when compared to Sasori's puppets. Yes, Deidara is arrogant, but he is also sweet and looks out for the other member's best interest. If one wished to be a friend, simply show that you are no threat to him, or any of his friends. If one wants to score extra points, say you admire his art and that you believe true art is fleeting and transient (he's a sucker for the artistic type). Our relationship works like Itachi's and Kisame's. We outwardly show respect for one another and we are considered good friends, the best actually. Kisame and Itachi get along well, showing interest in what the other has to say, and does favors for them without being asked more than once. We have been like that since I first arrived, but I couldn't say the same for Sasori.

He was one of the hardest to please. The redhead was very clever, and wise beyond his appearance. He looked like any normal teenager, but his eyes showed experience which he should have never had to deal with. He keeps to himself, throwing threats and insults when one tries to get to close for comfort. When we first met, he was confined in Hiroku, sitting silently whilst Deidara and I began to converse. Though he seems like he doesn't care, I could tell he looked out for the blonde's well-being, actually everyone's well-being. Whilst the blonde and I talked, I saw Sasori watching me, his eye flickering between me and his comrade. He made sure that I wouldn't lay a finger on said boy and that I kept in my own personal space, a good five feet from the blue eyed male. I had attempted to strike a conversation with him, only to get nothing but snide comments in return. I found from those comments, that he didn't easily trust, and only let certain people enter his confined personal space. Deidara explained it took him years to finally earn his Danna's trust. Our relationship works unlike no other in the Akatsuki. We are friends, yes, but it's much more complicated than that. The moment when I earned his trust was when Deidara and Sasori were out on a mission. I had heard explosions come from the distance and I understood they were under attack, trying to keep the hideout from being found. I had run out and tried to assist, only to be pushed aside by Sasori. Sighing, I noticed a few men hiding in the trees, aiming kunai's at the blonde who had run out of clay when he had to catch the two-tails. The moment they fired I knew I had to do something, since said boy already had his hands full with five ninja pounding on him. Without thinking, I used my own body as a shield, taking the full impact of the kunai being lodged into my stomach, leg, and one slicing past my cheek, giving me a deep gash. The fight ended soon after, all men killed save the Akatsuki members. The moment Sasori saw I had risked my life for the well-being of his partner, he showed a more grateful side to him, allowing me to be accepted by the puppet master.

Itachi was similar but much easier to please. I didn't make the best first impression; truth is I probably made the worst. The first, and what I thought to be the last, time he ever spoke to me, I blurted out the stupidest line I could've ever said. Upon hearing his name was Itachi, I somehow managed to conjure up 'but you don't look like a weasel…' When I said those words, I slapped a hand over my mouth, saying apology after apology as his glare intensified. Hidan had burst out laughing and proceeded to exclaim we would be great friends (the asshole never was helpful in these types of situations). It took months of me begging and gravelling for forgiveness when he gave in, mostly because I had made his favorite dish…Dango. He shoved it down his throat, nodding in acceptance, patted my head like a brother would do to a younger sibling, and then walked away. I was surprised to see all it took was a plate of cooked dough drowned in syrup to get a mass murderer to forgive you, but I wasn't about to argue. Our relation is complex, yet simple. We could be considered friends, yet we act like complete strangers. When we see each other we give a faint nod, making eye contact for a split second (something that seems pretty stupid on my part), and then going on about our day, yet when night falls and I get frightened, or I get hurt at some point in the day, Itachi comforts me. If I wake from a nightmare in a cold sweat, he activates his Sharingan, showing me pictures of different illusions he conjured up, knowing it would cheer me up. Never did he hurt me or try to scare me away. Instead, he created illusions of peaceful serenity, allowing me to slip into dreams once again, leaning on the blackette for support. He usually carries me to my bed, but he doesn't leave immediately. Occasionally I feel something soft touch my forehead, which I knew was a kiss. He had told me in a way that he enjoyed my company, and referred to me as a little sister, who reminded him of his beloved little brother. We got along well, but only showed it when alone, never in front of the others.

Tobi, I must say, was the easiest one to befriend. He is hyper, but smart (when he wants to be, that is). He doesn't particularly keep to himself and enjoys the company of the others around him. He loves making friends and being happy, but he easily irritates those in his proximity.

Deidara especially.

He refers to the blonde as 'Senpai', and openly respects him, but Deidara either ignores him, or makes threats in a comical fashion, never truly hurting the masked boy.

Well…not most of the time.

Honestly, he never seemed to annoy me. Tire me? Yes, definitely, but never annoy or irritate me. We had a simple friendship, never arguing or bickering, simply laughing and joking. He's a sweet boy, and very easy to entertain.

Kisame was very similar. He is a fairly relaxed person, unless confronted in battle. He and I have a simple friendship. We don't have long conversations, but we love to make small bets against each other. We don't share secrets, hang out all the time, do things for each other…no. We simply joke around now and then, team up with each other against Hidan if he's in one of his fits, do simple things to get a laugh. The reason we truly met was because he had left his sword leaning on a wall near his room for some repairs. I had been walking past, and had taken interest in it. I stopped and began to look at it, curiosity getting the best of me, as it usually did. He saw me begin to walk up to it, stroking the outer layer of the shark skin, feeling it's smoothness under my fingertips. He walked up to me, and asked me if I wanted to help him fix it. Of course I said yes, and our friendship blossomed from there.

Zetsu was…interesting. We couldn't even be considered friends, but we weren't enemies. We were…neutral towards each other. Honestly, we didn't trust each other at all. He thought I was too hyper, hair brained, and annoying. In return, I referred to him and Hannibal Lector, always getting a glare when I did. He never told me anything, thinking I always make a joke out of it. I made sure I was never alone with him, in fear he'd eat me. In time we settled our differences…to an extent. We still didn't trust each other, but we could stand the other's presence. We didn't talk except mumbling a faint 'hello' when we saw each other.

Konan and I were friends. She had been so excited to finally have another female in the group of nine boys. We had gotten along instantly, and as our friendship blossomed, the Leader became more cautious. He still didn't fully trust me, since I am the newest member, so he put limits on the amount of time me and his beloved could spend together. Our friendship weakened over time due to having boundaries on our friendships. We still did talk, but not as often as we used too. This upset us both, but we knew we couldn't go against Leader-Sama…not if we wanted to live another day.

Speaking of Leader-Sama, he and I have a particularly interesting relationship. It's not the best, but sure as Hell not the worst. To this day, that man didn't trust me.

Why?

I don't know.

Do I care?

Not particularly.

If he asked me to do something, I would do it. That's the way it's supposed to be with all of us. I wasn't like Sasori who did it all without being told twice, but I wasn't like Hidan who talked back and often cursed out the Leader (the damn bastard always got away with it too, even though he gets Rinnenganed into the wall on a daily basis). I had to be told multiple times, and occasionally I couldn't help but get a jab in, but all in all, I was behaved. Leader had made me work alone. I work as a spy, going into villages and using a fake name and get information of what we needed, then I would report back, and repeat the first step all over again. It was fairly simple, and I didn't really have to work too hard to do it.

"So _, you're actually going to do the bet?" Kisame smirked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Huh? Well yeah, I agreed to it, didn't I?" I grinned. The blue skin boy nodded, still smiling.

"Okay, so what are the rules?" I asked Hidan, walking over to him and leaning against the wall next to the Billiard's table that everyone was gathered around.

"You have a week to get fucking laid. You can't know shit about the person except their name and how they fucking look. Got it?" the Jashinist explained, slapping ten dollars on the table.

"Each person has to put ten bucks in the pile, whoever gets laid first, gets all the money," Kisame said, adding another ten on top of Hidan's.

"Perfect," I smirked, placing my money over the others. They all looked at me, expressions mixed with worry, pride, and acceptance. Deidara's face is what caught my attention. He frowned off into the distance, worry and concern clear on his face. Sighing, I approached him.

"What?" I asked.

"Follow me, un," he sighed, grabbing my hand and towing me with him into his bedroom. He pulled me in and sat me down on the bed with him next to me.

"Rara, what's wrong?" I frowned.

"Why are you doing this bet?"

"Why are you?"

"Because Hidan and I came up with it. _ you're seventeen years old, you're too young, un!"

"You're only nineteen! You're not exactly old either! Besides, I agreed that if I know about it, I'd do it. I keep my promises, Deidara."

"I…I just don't wanna see you get hurt. You're like family to me, I do all I can to protect you, un. I don't want to see you hurt, yeah."

I looked into the blonde' eyes and saw nothing but raw concern. I sighed and put my head on his shoulder.

"Rara, I'll be fine. I promise. I'm a big girl," I smiled weakly. He put his arm around my shoulder and sighed.

"She'll be fine, brat," Sasori sighed as he walked in, placing his puppets on his desk. Yeah, Deidara and Sasori shared a room. The Akatsuki, because of Kakuzu, had to share rooms with their partners.

Ha, sucks for them.

Payback's a bitch, ain't it Hidan?

"Yeah Rara, listen to your Danna," I giggled, ruffling his silky golden hair. The blonde just stuck his tongue out at me whilst Sasori rolled his eyes.

"Oi fuckers! Ya comin?" Hidan yelled at us.

"Be right there!" I called out. I grabbed their wrists and towed both boys to the Game Room once again.

This time, all the members, save Leader-sama and Konan-sama, were gathered around the Billiard's Table, a stack of money placed in the middle. I smirked and released the two boys, taking my spot in between them at the table.

"Good, now let's get this bet started," Hidan smirked. We all smiled and nodded, placing our bets one last time, before leaving.


	2. Searching

_**Chapter 2! :D Hahah enjoy! **_

_**Disclaimer: I only own the idea :3 I don't own Naruto or anything Naruto related D:**_

_**Bets: Gaara Story**_

_Chapter 2: Searching_

It was now night time, and I was wandering the streets of Konohagakure. The others decided to search farther away from the hideout, going to different cities like Takigakure. Looking around, the streets were fairly empty, but a few teens ran around, laughing and joking. One was blonde, with shining blue eyes and what looked like whiskers. The girl next to him had bright pink hair with bright green eyes. She seemed to be drooling over some guy with black hair and dark, dull eyes. He looks very similar to Itachi, so he must be Sasuke. Standing next to the trio were a few others. One boy had dark black hair which was in a high ponytail. He had both his ears pierced and wore a green vest and had his hands behind his head, looking as if he was sleeping. There was another with long dark hair, which was tied in a small ponytail at the tip of his hair. He had lavender eyes and no pupils. Next to him was a girl that looked related to him, except her hair had a dark blue tint to it. Her eyes were the same as the long haired male, and she wore a purple outfit. There was a female with long, blonde hair, and what looked to be blue eyes. Her hair was in a ponytail in the back, and her bangs fell over her right eye. If Deidara was a girl, I'm sure they'd be duplicates. It was frightening how similar they looked…

Ha, it's the female Deidara.

I can't wait to tell him about this.

Next to her was a boy with scrappy brown hair and red triangles painted on his cheeks. A dog was sitting on his head, nuzzling the boy's hair. He had brown eyes and a small smile. He actually looked cute.

But what caught my eye was the red head sitting a few feet away from them, keeping to himself. He had mint green eyes and no pupils. His hair was as red as Sasori's and was scrappy and short. On his forehead was a scar that looked like the LOVE sign in Japanese. He had a frown in his face and his eyes looked cold and dead.

I liked it.

I liked it a lot.

His face held no emotions and he just stared at the group with his cold eyes. He sighed, and then looked away, towards me. By this time, I was hiding in the shadows, away from the group, making sure they couldn't see me. The red head and I locked eyes and he narrowed his to make it a glare. I smirked at him, not too sure if he could see me, or if he was just checking to see if he wasn't hallucinating. The boy stood motionless, just staring in my direction. His eyes intensified even more every second, until he lifted his hand, and motioned a finger to come closer. Now I knew he knew I was there.

Dammit.

He was hesitant, and watched me cautiously as I moved out of the shadows. This caught the attention of a few other members that were next to him. I smirked at the wary expressions and rolled my eyes.

"Hey, who are you?" the boy with the dog on his head asked.

"I'm Daniella," I lied. I wasn't able to tell them my real name, or else they could track me easier.

"Daniella, huh? Never seen you around before! Ya new?" the blonde boy beamed, showing all his bright white teeth. I giggled innocently and nodded.

"Yeah, I got here today. I'm trying to learn my way around the village," I shrugged.

"Why didn't you do that during the day?" the boy with the pony tail and green vest asked.

"Too many people," I pointed out. "It would be easier at night, that way I wouldn't have to concentrate on running into anybody."

"What a drag... I'm Shikamaru by the way," the boy said.

"Hey," I waved.

"Naruto, believe it!" the blonde boy said.

"Sakura," the pinkette with green eyes added.

"Kiba," the one with the dog smirked. I smiled at him.

"H-Hinata," the white eyes girl stuttered.

"Neji," her look alike said.

"Ino," Deidara's female version waved.

"This is Sasuke," Sakura added, pointing to Itachi's younger brother, who was glaring at me. I just smirked back at him.

"Gaara," a deep, cold voice added. Glancing behind the crowd of teenagers, I saw the boy with brick red hair and cold mint eyes staring at me once again. His gaze softened a bit now that I was out in the open, but it still was so cold, Hell could freeze over. I smiled softly at him, getting a deeper glare in reply.

"Nice to meet you all," I waved at them, giggling sweetly. They all smiled at me. The red head stood up and walked away, mumbling about 'how he had places to go'. We all watched him go, and then Naruto sighed.

"He's not a people person…" he said.

"I noticed…" I responded, pursing my lips. '_He wouldn't be bad for our bet. He's cute; no doubt he's smart and strong. But Jashin, I could melt in those eyes. I don't care how cold they look, I love them.'_ I added in my thoughts. I didn't dare say it out loud though.

"What?" Kiba asked, seeing my smirk grow.

"Well I'm a naturally curious person, and you're friend there has me curious…" I replied, deep in thought.

The others looked at each other, and then shrugged.

"Go find him if you want, but be careful. He's-" I cut off Kiba's warning. I had to stick to the rules of the bet. I can't know much about them.

I hate you, Hidan.

"I'll find out. Don't worry, I'll be fine. See ya around," I winked at the group then ran off in the direction Gaara went, turning on my spy instincts.

The full moon was out tonight, so everything had a natural glow about it. I perched myself on a roof top, standing silently and motionless, only letting my eyes flicker around the area. I could sense something near me, but how close I wasn't too sure. Suddenly, I felt something wrap around me. It didn't hurt, so I wasn't too worried about it, just slightly annoyed that I didn't notice where it was. Looking down, I saw it was sand. It had encased me, leaving my head and the tips of my shoulders free.

"Looking for something?" the cold, dead voice I had been searching for asked. I grinned. The boy was standing behind me, so I couldn't see what he was doing, or how close he was to me.

"Not anymore," I responded, looking at the roof top to see his shadow. Judging by its position, he was standing about two or three feet away from me, hands to his sides, and legs slightly spread apart. Even his shadow looked hot…

"You were looking for me," he said. It wasn't more of a question than it was an accusation. Shrugging, I nodded.

"Was it that obvious?" I retorted, grinning to myself.

"Why?" he hissed, his voice darker.

Sighing, I looked up at the moon. _'So I can fuck you and get ninety bucks out of my teammates who work in the Akatsuki' _I said in my head. I knew I couldn't tell the truth, not that I had been from the very beginning. So I said something half-true.

"I was curious about you. You seem….different. I like it," I shrugged again. This time, he remained silent. I could hear a bit of movement, and then he was standing directly in front of me, still encasing me with sand.

"Curious?" he asked. I could see he wasn't believing me completely, but I was getting there.

"Hmm," I hummed, nodding. He looked at me, deep into my eyes. I just smiled back at him, batting my eyelashes innocently. Then he sighed and released the sand, moving to sit on the roof. Looking down at him, who was leaning on his gourd, simply looking at the moon, I decided to join him.

"What was with the sand snuggie?" I asked softly.

He merely shrugged and stared at the moon, showing no emotion on his face.

"Precautions," he said.

"Precautions for what…?" I asked hesitantly whilst sitting down next to him, pulling my knees to my chest.

He looked at me, straight into my eyes. "I know you're in the Akatsuki. You work for them as a spy, correct?"

I was taken back. How did he know? I thought I was so thorough… Well that hurt my ego…

Dammit, nothing ever goes my way.

It's all Hidan's fault.

The asshole.

"Y-yes, but how…how did you know?" I asked.

"You looked familiar. I remember you once talking to a guard in Sunagakure. He worked for me. I heard you have named yourself 'Hakita', instead of 'Daniella'. I know neither are your real name…" he simply replied. I was in shock. This…this boy could read me like an open book! I met the kid like twenty minutes ago!

I officially lost my pride.

Sighing, I looked away from the moon, to him. He looked so calm, but yet he confined himself into a bubble, not letting anyone get close to him to actually feel his warmth or sweet scent. I don't know why…but I felt _bad_ for lying to him. He looked so innocent…but I knew he wasn't. This boy was dangerously familiar, but from where, I don't remember…

"Sorry…" I mumbled, looking down. I don't know _why_ I was apologizing, but I was. His head snapped around to look at me.

"Why are you apologizing?" he snapped.

Looking up to meet his gaze, I shrugged.

"I didn't expect you to recognize me, and truthfully…I feel bad about it. I don't know _why_ I do, but I do," I sighed, frowning.

His eyes widened and I was suddenly encased with sand once again, still having my head and shoulders free.

"Are the Akatsuki planning something to endanger the people here or in Sunagakure?" he growled, glaring at me.

"Huh? No, not right now, why?" I asked, a bit shocked at his sudden hostility.

"Then why are you here?" he hissed, tightening his grip on the sand. I had to admit, it hurt a little, but I'd have to deal with it. "Don't bother lying, because I can tell when you do."

Sighing, I knew I couldn't escape it. "Fine, I'll tell you, but I doubt you'll believe me…"

"Try me."

"Well…my friends Deidara and Hidan decided to create a bet where any member who agreed to know about it, would have to be a part of it. Me, being a gambler and pretty competitive, wanted to know. They explained that I would have to seduce, then sleep with a random person, whether they are off the street or a friend of a friend, it didn't matter, just as long as I only knew their name, it was okay. So Deidara, Sasori, Kakuzu, Itachi, Hidan, Kisame, Zetsu, Tobi and I all bet ten dollars and had left the hide-out, unbeknownst to Leader-Sama, to go win the bet. I decided to come here, since I am most familiar with this area, and I ended up finding you. You had been so cold, and I'm always up for a challenge, so I decided to follow you. Since I only knew your name, I figured, 'Hey, why not'?" I explained, gasping for air at the end. I panted slightly, having said all that in one breath. I knew I probably shouldn't have told him all the names of the Akatsuki, but I couldn't take it back now.

Yeah, fuck my life.

Gaara looked at me, disbelief in his eyes. He opened his mouth to say something, but I cut him off.

"Hey, if you don't believe me, fine, but I'm telling the truth. Even a group of S-Rank criminals gets bored."

He just stared at me for a few minutes, searching for any hints of falseness in my eyes, and apparently he saw none, for he let me go and leaned back.

"I find it hard to believe that the Akatsuki would play such childish games," he replied.

I scoffed.

"Oh please, you don't know the half of it. The maturity level with us all in the same room is very low. You'd be amazed," I chuckled. Sighing, I added, "I probably shouldn't have told you any of this. You have valuable information about us. I hope you realize that if you mention it to _anybody_ I will get the Akatsuki to come and kill you all."

Gaara looked over at me and nodded. "I understand."

"So can I trust you to keep me and my family safe?"

"Yes, I won't tell anybody. They haven't hurt my village in a while, and I don't want to antagonize them. I care for my village too much."

I lie down next to him and look at his peaceful face. He seemed so calm…

"You're a lot nicer than I thought you'd be," I whispered, smiling at him.

"What is your real name?" he asked.

"_," I replied, biting my lip. I was nervous telling him information relating to the Akatsuki, which is a dangerous thing to do, but I couldn't help but trust him. He captivated me like no other has done before.

"_...I like it," he mumbled before looking away, back at the full moon that hung in the black void of space. I couldn't help but blush at that. He liked my name…

"Do you still plan to carry on with your bet?" he asked suddenly.

"Huh? Oh…I'm not sure. The only reason I agreed to it was because I would ninety dollars if I won, though I'm not too fond if losing my virginity to a complete stranger…" I said, my voice fading at the end.

He looked at me, then reached into his pocket and pulled out something. "Here," he said, holding it out.

I took it, and then realized what it was. He just gave me ninety bucks.

"What? Gaara, I can't accept this. It's your money, you deserve it. I was the one whoring myself out."

"I'd rather have you take money from me than having sex with a stranger," he responded. I blushed lightly. He'd give up ninety dollars for a girl he just met?

"It's just a silly bet, I could just say I lost, no one would think any of it," I said.

"It's alright. Keep the money. I have too much anyway," he sighed.

"What do you mean?" I asked, propping myself up on my elbow so I could look at him.

"Did you give up on using me in your bet?" he responded.

"The bet isn't important, so yes. Now, what do you mean you have too much?"

"I'm the Kazekage of Sunagakure."

"Then why are you here in Konoha?"

"You, well the Akatsuki. They were all paranoid because it seems like you all went into hiding, and then you would all come out at once and kill everything."

I scoffed. "That's crap. Don't worry; we aren't going to attack you anytime soon. We have just been getting worried because there have been people passing dangerously close to our hide-out, so we are trying to stay hidden so no one can track us."

"That's why you all decided to play this little game?"

"Yup, having eleven S-Rank criminals crammed in a small hide-out all day and all night gets very frustrating, so we usually place bets to ease the tension."

"I see…"

"Do you believe we are evil, Gaara-san?" I asked, suddenly allowing my voice to become much softer. He looked at me curiously.

"Yes."

"Why?"

"Because you murder innocent people who just try to protect their village."

I sighed and shook my head. That's not true. No one would understand that.

This time it was his turn to ask why.

"Because, Gaara, we aren't evil. Truly, we aren't. All we do is attempt to catch the tailed beasts of this world. No one honestly likes them, so we extract them. We haven't attempted to start a war yet, and we only kill those who wish us dead. We defend ourselves and each other, the way you do for your village. We follow the orders of our Leader-sama, like they do with you, since you're Kazekage. We have to do what we can, or we are killed. If we mess up in battle, we die. If we disobey our Leader-sama, we die. This is why we protect our comrades, and fight the way we do. We have no choice!" I exclaimed. Sighing, I shook my head. I don't expect him to understand, but I could at least try. We aren't evil killers…

"I don't understand why anyone would wish to join…"

"No one really _wanted_ to join, Gaara-san."

"Then why are you all in it?"

"Because we were recruited. Either we came by choice when Leader-Sama sent members out to get us, or they would drag us by force. If we retaliated and fought, they would kill us. We either join or die. That's how it works. The reason we didn't fight against Leader is because we all understand each other. No one in the Akatsuki had a simple life, yet that makes people label us as evil. Our lives range from Deidara, who was exiled at a young age because of his choice in art, to Itachi, the man who murdered his clan. Yet because of this, everyone assumes we aren't good, that we should be damned to Hell…"

Gaara looked at me with more attentiveness now. His eyes were locked on my face as if her were trying to understand. He had a small frown on his pale complexion.

"I never thought about it that way before. I suppose no one has," he said softly.

"People always assume the worst of others, of everything…"

Suddenly, my ring started to glow, alerting me I had to get back to the hide-out. Mentally cursing, I looked at Gaara, whom was also looking at my ring. His eyes flashed to mine.

"I have to go…I'm sorry Gaara," I said, standing up. As I was about to leave, I felt his hand grip my wrist.

"Will I see you again?" he asked. Looking at him with a smile, I nodded.

"Yes, I'll see you soon."

And with that I bounded off, running at full blast towards my destination.

Towards my home.


	3. Forever and Always

_**This is the last chapter! These were longer than I expected them to be… ANYWHO! Hope you like it! Please read my other stories if you haven't already :D Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto…Jashin help us all….**_

_**Bets: Gaara Story**_

_Chapter Three: Forever and Always_

"I was called?" I mumbled, sauntering into the Game Room where all the others were talking amongst themselves. They looked up at me then grinned.

"What took you so damn long?" Hidan asked, crossing his arms. "Had _too_ much fun?"

Rolling my eyes, I walked past him, sitting on the island which was next to the door. "I probably got more than you did," I smirked.

Hidan growled and the other members just laughed. Truth is, I probably did. I had met a man I had never expected I would, and though we didn't have sex…I still felt I had won something…

"Shut the fuck up!" he growled and I chuckled.

"Relax Hidan, no need to be so defensive," I smiled.

The Jashinist just growled and stomped off, mumbling about doing a sacrifice. Joy… Once he left the room, all eyes were on me, and I sighed.

I hope you die Hidan. Slowly and painfully, you bastard.

"Yes?" I asked them.

"Did you really get lucky?" Kisame asked, smirking.

"Depends what you qualify as 'lucky'."

"Having sex," Kakuzu said.

"Then no," I grinned, running a hand through my hair. They all gave me questioning looks.

"Then why did you say you probably got more than Hidan?" Sasori asked, looking like he didn't even care.

Yeah, he probably didn't.

Typical.

Sighing, I rolled my eyes. "How many of you actually believe he had sex, as opposed to probably beating some random chick then raping her?" I asked. No one said anything, and I nodded. "Exactly, in my opinion, that's not lucky, that's fucked up."

"So if you didn't get lucky, what did you do that entire time?" Kisame asked, leaning next to me.

I smirked and put a finger on my lips, signaling that I wasn't going to tell them. They narrowed their eyes and I winked and chuckled. Soon they dispersed, going in all different directions. As Deidara was walking away, I grabbed his hand and dragged him into his room, plopping him down on his bed.

"I gotta tell you what happened!" I whispered to him, wide-eyed.

"What did you do, un?" he asked. As I was going to answer, the door opened and Sasori slipped in. I narrowed my eyes.

"You're not planning on leaving anytime soon, are you?" I asked.

"No," he said simply.

I sighed.

Fuck everyone in Akatsuki.

"Keep a secret?"

"Sure."

"Good."

"What happened _, un?" Deidara interjected, regaining my attention.

"Okay, so, I was walking around Konoha, when I came across this group of teenagers. There was quite a few. Naruto, the jinjuriki that we've been looking for, the nine-tails, Sakura, a medic-nin, Sasuke, Itachi's younger brother, Neji and Kiba, two random guys, Hinata, some chick, Ino, oh my Jashin Deidara, if you were a chick, you would look exactly like her. I mean she had long blonde hair, bangs over her right eye, blue eyes, all that. It was creepy! Then there was Gaara. He's also a jinjuriki, the one-tails. So I was standing in a dark spot, watching them to see if I wanted to even bother talking to them, when Gaara looked over at me and just sat there staring at me! It was kinda weird, but I thought nothing of it. He looked pissed off, but it seems that's how he looked naturally… So he saw me and called me over. I met everyone then he walked off. I followed him and we ended up talking for hours! So-" Sasori cut me off.

"Wait, Gaara, the one-tails? But we extracted his demon. How is he alive?" he asked. We looked at each other, wide-eyed. That's why he was so familiar! I helped capture him! I had to spy on him whilst in Sunagakure!

Goddammit my life _sucks_!

I will make you burn in Hell Hidan!

"I…I'm not sure…" I responded, sitting in between the two boys on Deidara's bed.

"Please, continue with your story, un."

I nodded. "Okay, so, I was sitting on this roof, looking for him, then the dude like encases me in sand! He left my head and shoulders exposed, so then he walked up behind me and asked what I was doing and why I was there, all that good stuff. So when I told him I meant him no harm and stuff, he let me go. I stayed and we ended up talking. He told me that he knew I was in the Akatsuki and that he knew the names I used were fake and made up. So I told him my real name-"

"YOU WHAT?" they yelled in unison. I slapped my hand over their mouths and looked at the door then back at them.

"Dammit be quieter!" I hissed.

"_, you know you're not allowed to share anything personal about yourself or the Akatsuki!" Sasori growled.

No shit, think I would be here telling you this if I didn't know that?

"I know! But it gets…worse," I whimpered. They looked at each other, then me. I decided to continue.

"So then he said he…liked my name. So we talked more and I asked him why he wasn't in Suna where he was Kazekage. He told me it was because it seemed like we went into hiding, and then we would pop up and attack them and kill him. I said that wasn't true, and it was simply because we couldn't risk being found by passing shinobi and such. He then asked what I was doing in Konoha if we were supposed to be keeping low… I told him about the bet and how we weren't doing any harm to anyone. He found it hard to believe a serious group such as us would play such childish games. I then began asking about him. Before he answered any of my questions, he asked if I was still doing the bet. I said no and that I didn't care about it. He then gave me ninety bucks and said he's rather have me take money from him than have sex with a random guy-"

"He gave you money, un?" Deidara interrupted. I looked at him then reached into my pocket, pulling out the wad Gaara had given me. The three of us stared at it, and then they looked at me once again.

"O…okay… Continue," Sasori nodded.

"Okay…after that happened, for some reason, I asked if he thought we were evil. I have no idea WHY I asked that…but I did. He said yes. I asked why. He said because we killed innocent people and that we were murders who wanted to be selfish and stuff like that. I told him that wasn't entirely true. I explained how we worked to defend each other and that we did what Leader-Sama ordered us and we had no choice in the matter. After I explained all that, you guys called me back. I got up to leave, but Gaara grabbed my wrist and asked if he would see me again…"

"What did you say, un?" Deidara asked hesitantly.

I stood up and looked at both of the boys, their eyes locked on me.

"I said yes. Guys…I'm running away. I don't know what it is about him…I really don't but I need to see him again. I need to be with him. It's not a want…but a _need_. I have to escape Akatsuki, and I need you guys to help me," I responded, putting authority in my voice.

The duo just stared at me, eyes wide and both frowning. Deidara looked down, then back up at me. It broke my heart. His eyes looked so sad and worried. He had a sad frown on and his had a slight pout. I bit my lip and looked down.

Damn it all to Hell. Deidara, why are you so fucking adorable?

It's all Hidan's fault.

"Please?" I asked in a small, desperate voice. I heard the sound of moving, then arms being wrapped around me. I looked up and saw blonde hair. Immediately I hugged back, letting a few tears of sadness leave my eyes. The blonde pulled back and wiped my tears away, smiling gently.

"If you believe it's the right thing to do…I'll help you, un," he whispered. His voice was so sad but he knew this is something I needed. He had been seventeen once, he knew I had to go live my life. He's been in the Akatsuki since he was thirteen, and he wanted me to have the life that he never had.

"Thanks Rara. Thank you so much," I hugged him again, clinging to his cloak. He hugged me back and kissed my head.

"Sasori?" I asked, releasing Deidara and slowly walking over to him. Kneeling in front of him and placing my chin on his knee, I looked at his face. He was looking at me, directly into my eyes. I could see the sadness in his face, but I could see determination too.

"I will help you," he eventually sighed. I smiled and glomped him in a hug. The red head wasn't expecting it, as he hesitantly hugged me back.

"Thank you so much, Sassy… You have no idea how much this means to me," I whispered and let him go. The red head smiled softly at me and patted my head.

"If this is what you truly want…"

"It is, I have no doubt in my mind."

"How will we sneak her out? Leader-sama is outside with the others, un," Deidara asked, looking around.

"There is a small window in my bedroom. I will sneak out through there. Once I leave, I need you guys to stall as much as possible. There is no doubt he will come looking for me. If he does, stall. I need as much time to escape as possible. Alright?" I asked. They nodded sadly and I let out a shaky sigh.

"Come in my room in five minutes. I'll have my stuff packed. I'll probably just be taking a few pictures, maybe a shirt or two, that stuff. Okay?"

They nodded once again and I bit my lip. _'You can do this. Be strong. For Gaara…do it for Gaara'_ I thought to myself. That seemed to give me courage as I slipped out the boy's door and ran silently into my room. Once inside, I pulled off my ring, setting it gently down on my bedside table. It pained me to leave my family, everything that I had grown attached too. I had been here since I turned fourteen. I spent three years here, earning the respect of all the members and gaining a high rank in Akatsuki. But I had to do this. I wanted to be with Gaara, he made me…happy. Truly happy… Sighing, I collected a few pictures of me with each member. Kakuzu, Hidan, Itachi, Sasori, Deidara, Tobi, Zetsu, Konan, Kisame, even one with Leader-sama. I clipped them all together and set them on my bed. There was one that I also wanted to take. It was taken a year after I had joined Akatsuki, and it was a full photo, with the entire group. I smiled and gently stroked the sides.

I was sitting in Deidara's lap, my feet resting on Kakuzu and my head resting on the blonde's shoulder. He had his arms around my waist and Kakuzu was tickling me, a smile on his face as I giggled. Deidara was smiling as he held my squirming self. Sasori was sitting next to Deidara, his back was leaning against mine and his head was leaning back onto my shoulder. He was smirking and had his arm resting on my head. Konan was standing in front of Leader-sama, his head resting on hers and his arms laced around her waist. They both had soft smiles and Konan had a small blush on her cheeks. Behind us were Itachi, Hidan, Kisame, Zetsu, and Tobi. Itachi was eating a piece of Dango that I had made and had a little strip of syrup on the edge of his mouth. He was smiling a little and had a hand placed on his stomach, the other shoving Dango in his mouth. Kisame was laughing and had his arm rested on Itachi's shoulder. The other was placed on the back of his head. Tobi was standing to the right of Kisame, and he was clapping. No one could see his face, but I like to think he was laughing too. Zetsu was leaning on the wall next to Tobi, a smirk on his lips. He had his arms crossed but I could see he was happy. His eyes were gleaming and he was smiling. On the other side of Itachi was Hidan. He was standing behind me, laughing as he gave me little bunny ears with his fingers. There was a faint blush on his cheeks due to how much he was laughing. For once everyone was happy. It was my birthday that day… I'd never forget it. I loved everyone there, and I'd miss them with all my heart…

I didn't realize I was crying until I saw water droplets hit the photo and slide off. Startled by the noise, I quickly wiped the tears away, just in time for the two boys to slip in my room.

"Hey, you alright?" Sasori asked. I smiled weakly and nodded. "What's that?" he asked, gesturing to the photo in my hands.

I smiled and held it out to him. The red head took it and he and Deidara looked down at it, smiles clear on both of their faces. Deidara looked at me and a few tears slipped down his cheek. I chuckled lightly and hugged Deidara as hard as I could. He hugged me back, letting me nuzzle his neck lightly.

"We'll miss you _, un," he whispered. I pulled away and smiled.

"I'll miss all of you. So much…"

I gathered my things and slid them into a small back that I then strapped around my waist. Looking at them I nodded, and slid the window open, allowing the light from the moon to slip inside.

"Ready?" Sasori asked.

"No," I chuckled. I looked at them once again. "Can you pass on a message?"

"Yes," Sasori nodded.

"Tell…tell everyone that I loved them with all my heart. Tell Kakuzu that I'll mail him the money I get from everything he's taught me, tell Hidan that even though he was a huge pain in the ass, I loved his company and he was the funniest person I've ever met. Tell Zetsu that I'm sorry he and I never got along, and that I'd do anything to make it better. Tell Konan she was the greatest girlfriend I've ever had, and that I'm glad she wasn't the only girl anymore. Tell Leader-sama not to come after me. I swear that I'll keep my allegiance to the Akatsuki and that I won't say any information that has to do with them. Tell Itachi he was the best brother I ever had, and that deep down, he's a very good person, no matter what anyone says. Tell Kisame that I'd do anything to be able to repair his sword with him again, and that I wish he and I could have been better friends. Tell Tobi that he was the sweetest guy ever and that one day he'll find someone who will love him and all his hair brained glory…" I whispered, sniffling.

"Is that all?" the red head asked.

I hugged both of them tightly whilst I whispered, "Tell Sasori and Deidara that I loved them most of all. Tell them that Deidara was the sweetest, cutest, funniest guy that I'd ever had the pleasure of meeting, and his art was beautiful. That I love him with all my heart and I'd never forget all the times we spent together. Tell him that I loved seeing his art make beautiful colors when they exploded and I hope that he will be safe. Tell him that I loved his little 'yeah' and 'un' at the end of his sentences, and they were cute. Tell Sasori that I loved to see him work on his puppets and that even though we weren't as close as I wished we could've been, I knew I could trust him with anything. Tell him that I loved how red his hair was and that no matter what happened in the past, he has a family now, and that his family will always love him, no matter what. Tell him to make sure he and Deidara keep fighting about art, because it's funny to all the other members to see Deidara's cute pout and Sasori's sexy smirk. Tell both of them that I will always love them more than they will ever know…"

By the time I pulled away, I was crying again, Tears slid down my cheeks and fell silently to the floor. I looked at Deidara and he was silently crying too. He smiled a huge grin at me and pulled me in and gave me a kiss on my forehead.

"I'll miss you _-chan, un," he whispered before letting me go again. "I'm sure Deidara loves you too."

"As does Sasori," the puppet added before pulling me into a tight embrace. I hugged him back tightly before he pulled away. "You have to get going _."

I nodded and walked towards the window, putting my hand on the sill. Turning to look at them once last time, I mouthed an 'I love you guys' to them. They smiled and mouthed 'I love you too' back to me.

"Oh, _?" Sasori called out.

I looked at him, and he smirked his famous sexy smirk that made my heart melt. "You think it's sexy do you?" he chuckled.

Fuck you. You know that you could make anyone melt with that, don't you?

Ass.

I love you guys.

"Hey, un!" Deidara pouted his adorable pout that made me smile. "My smirk isn't sexy, un?"

You're a sex God in general.

You and Sasori could rule the world together.

Bastards.

I'll miss you two the most.

I giggled and playfully rolled my eyes. "You're sexy in general, Rara." He seemed content with that answer and smiled.

"Goodbye," I smiled, blowing a kiss at them.

"Bye…" they responded in unison, waving. I sighed and climbed out my window. Looking back one last time, I saw Deidara crying again, and Sasori had a hand on his shoulder. They were both watching me leave. With one last wave, I ran. I didn't look back as I left my family to be with my love.

Love.

That's what Gaara was to me. He was my one and only. He claimed my heart from the moment our eyes met. We had only spoken for a few hours before I was willing to give up everything for him.

Arriving in Konohagakure, I jumped on the rooftop where we talked not two hours prior to now. Looking around, I saw no sign of him. Sighing, I looked down, heart-broken. Then I felt something slither up my legs and wrap around me, leaving my shoulders and head exposed.

"Looking for something?" the familiar soothing voice asked. Smiling to myself, I blushed.

"Not anymore," I responded.

I felt the sand fade away only to be replaced by two arms that laced around my waist.

"Gaara?" I whispered.

"Hmm?"

"I…I love you…."

I felt lips touch my neck, and felt him smile. "I love you too _," he replied softly.

Damn straight you do!

….God I would die for you.

I love you.

"I left the Akatsuki…" I bit my lip.

He froze for a second, and then rested his head on my shoulder. "You did that…for me?"

"Yes, Gaara…I…I want to…be with you," I held my breath as I waited for his answer. He could sense my nervousness and chuckled.

"Good, because I wasn't planning on letting you go anytime soon."

"R-really?"

"Yes, I love you _. There is something about you that draws me in. It makes me want to spend every minute of every day with you. I've never felt love…or happiness as a child. I feel that when I was brought back to life…I was given a second chance at love. I finally understand that. I wish to love you and be loved by you _," he whispered as he turned me around to face him.

I was shocked, but was ecstatic. Somehow I managed to break free of his arms and flung my arms and legs around the boy's figure. I hugged him tightly, nuzzling his neck as I did so. I could feel him smile and wrap his arms around me.

I pulled back and looked at Gaara. His eyes weren't as cold as when we first met, and were filed with love. He had a small smile on his lips, making him look beyond adorable. Slowly, we both leaned in. The moment our lips made contact, a jolt ran through me, sending shivers up my spine. I ran my hand into his hair, pulling him closer to me. He tightened his grip on my waist, stroking my sides gently.

Oh my God, just ravish me here and now.

Please?

We were forced to pull away for air, and as we panted, I rested my head on his, intertwining our fingers. We smiled at each other before we pulled away.

"As Godaime Kazekage, I order you to return to Sunagakure with me and live in the Kazekage mansion," he smirked.

"Anything else, Kazekage-sama?" I giggled.

"You're permission for me to be your one and only?"

"Forever and always," I whispered, smiling.

He returned me smile. "Forever and always."

Heh, yeah, Hidan can wait for me to beat his ass later.

I have other stuff to tend to.

**The End.**


End file.
